For the third consecutive year, Alabama will produce the first running back drafted in April. Eddie Lacy rumbled to MVP honors in the BCS title game against Notre Dame and left school early to follow Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson to the NFL.

In 2011, Ingram was the only running back taken in Round 1, No. 28 overall to the Saints. Last year, however, Richardson went No. 3 to the Browns. Before the round was complete, he had company from Doug Martin (Buccaneers at No. 31) and David Wilson (Giants at No. 32).

Recent NFL Drafts have been an assembly line of running backs from Tuscaloosa, with Eddie Lacy the latest model likely to be a first-round pick. (AP Photo)

Although Richardson and Martin had strong rookie seasons, it was Alfred Morris, the Redskins' sixth-round pick, who finished behind only Minnesota's Adrian Peterson in rushing with 1,613 yards.

Lacy, with his strong combination of power and explosiveness, could have the special qualities to make at least one team use a high pick on him next month.

Starting with the Bengals at No. 21, Lacy has a good chance to go in the bottom of the first round. For the teams that prefer to wait to find their version of Morris, there also are some intriguing later-round options in this year's class:

1. Eddie Lacy, Alabama (5-11, 231 pounds). Lacy was a bruising runner with sudden bursts for the Crimson Tide. It helped he ran behind an NFL-caliber offensive line, including likely first-rounders in guard Chance Warmack and tackle D.J. Fluker. Some scouts see Lacy as an every-down back in Richardson's mold, while others see him a stronger red-zone finisher than Ingram. Wherever he goes, he'll have a chance to carry a load right away.

2. Giovani Bernard, North Carolina (5-8 3/8, 202). Every NFL team needs a speed option in its backfield. Bernard's elusiveness and ability to turn corners quickly put him in that mold. He's not quite as fast, however, as LeSean McCoy or Darren Sproles. He's a compact runner but will need to show he can gain more yards after contact to be a traditional three-down back.

3. Johnathan Franklin, UCLA (5-10, 205). Teams that like Franklin see what he can do as a quick, low-to-the-ground type runner. He also has the hands to be a consistent outlet receiver. Not much different from Bernard, the question is can he take the pounding over 20 touches a game.

4. Stepfan Taylor, Stanford (5-9 1/8, 214). The lasting image of Taylor from 2012 was how his push was ruled short of the goal line in the Cardinal's overtime loss at Notre Dame. He's a hard, determined runner who may not possess the ideal burst, but he can make up for it with relentless effort. He's probably looking at a situational role as a rookie.

5. Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State (6-0, 204). Randle's biggest assets are his speed and quickness. The trick is putting it together with his frame, so he's more than a dasher and becomes more of a power type, like Baltimore's Bernard Pierce. The kind of prospect he is now, Randle can be slotted in the late second or early third round.

6. Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina (5-11 1/4, 221). Lattimore is trying to come back from a devastating right knee injury (torn ACL, LCL and PCL) suffered last October. Although he likely won't be ready to be inserted into an NFL backfield right away, he's a worthy stash for a team that can afford sitting him. His work ethic and natural talent can't be questioned, and there is precedent for such a pick working (see Willis McGahee).

7. Montee Ball, Wisconsin (5-10 1/2, 214). Ball was a touchdown machine in 2011, before cooling off along with the whole Wisconsin offense last season. There's something smooth and effortless about his running style, even though there's nothing specific about his game that stands out. In the right (zone-blocking?) system, he has a chance to scratch the surface of his prolific college production.

8. Le'Veon Bell, Michigan State (6-1 3/8, 230). Bell can do a little bit of everything. His size and hard-charging running should get attention. He also can contribute more as a receiver than he did in college. The question is, despite his frame, if he can handle the licks that come with a tough load.

9. Kenjon Barner, Oregon (5-9 1/4, 196). Barner was the primary burner in Chip Kelly's offense last season, and his former Ducks teammate, LaMichael James snuck into the bottom of the second round (49ers) last year. Like with other smaller, faster backs in this class, teams must gauge how much pounding they think Barner can take and still be effective with his speed.

10. Mike Gillislee, Florida (5-11 1/4, 208). Gillislee held up well as the Gators' feature back because he had the patience to let his blocks develop but also had good instincts to burst decisively when the right holes became available. To see more significant work in the NFL, he must show he can do more on cutbacks.

11. Kerwynn Williams, Utah State (5-8 1/8, 195). Williams is the classic little guy who can fly. Teams seeking to use him as just that will slide him up their boards. He comes from a smaller school but was the Aggies' successor to Seahawks backup Robert Turbin. Williams' versatility has the potential to make him the steal of his class.

12. Theo Riddick, Notre Dame (5-10 1/8, 201). Riddick thrived in his conversion from wide receiver. He showed surprising toughness with his no-nonsense running. But removed from Notre Dame's fine blocking and lesser college competition, Riddick should and will get more consideration as a skilled pass-catching scatback.

13. Cierre Wood, Notre Dame (5-11, 213). Physically, Wood looks the part with explosiveness that teams would covet. Despite his talent, he couldn't maximize his position with the Fighting Irish, and he also carries some off-field character questions.

14. Jawan Jamison, Rutgers (5-7 3/8, 203). Not exactly Ray Rice, Jamison was off to the races as a smaller back for the Scarlet Knights in 2012 before being derailed by an ankle injury. Given he cuts well to the outside, he'll get middle-round looks a change-of-pace back.

15. Ray Graham, Pittsburgh (5-9 1/8, 199). Graham is a quick, shifty back with good hands. He looked special at times with the Panthers, but he's trying to overcome two things that happened late in the season -- a hamstring injury and an off-field (simple assault/conspiracy) incident involving a Pitt student.

16. Zac Stacy, Vanderbilt (5-8 3/8, 216). What you see is what you get with Stacy: a strong decisive runner who will operate well as a complementary back for a team with a sound, established line and blocking scheme.

17. Knile Davis, Arkansas (5-11 3/8, 227). Davis, like Lattimore, is trying to convince teams to look past recent injury history and take him based on the great power he showed with the Razorbacks during his sophomore year. The difference is there is already evidence from 2012 that Davis wasn't all that effective returning from a broken left ankle. Lattimore is a much better medical gamble.

18. Rex Burkhead, Nebraska (5-10, 214). Burkhead is looking to break away from a 2012 season that was marred by a sprained MCL. There's a lot to like about Burkhead when healthy, a hardnosed runner with a good history of production as the Cornhuskers' busy featured runner.

19. Michael Ford, LSU (5-9 1/4, 210). Ford has the good Tigers pedigree and comes with some all-around skills, including speed. He'll be a late-round project for a team hoping it can help him put it all together.

20. Onterio McCalebb, Auburn (5-10 1/4, 168). McCalebb is on the radar as a late-round pick and priority free agent because he ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.34 seconds) of any back at the Combine. He'll be selected because of speed, and the team that adds him will go from there and see whether he can give more.